


The Moment You Realize

by Briar_Thorne19



Category: Banana Bus Squad, Brohm - Fandom, H2OVanoss - Fandom
Genre: M/M, Volleyball
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-10-04
Packaged: 2018-08-19 11:47:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8205367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Briar_Thorne19/pseuds/Briar_Thorne19
Summary: These boys come from all different backgrounds, only brought together by fate and a love for volleyball. A local volleyball club is accepting male players for the first time this year and the team they bring together might be a bit more than anyone bargained for. These players are a recipe for disaster but still manage to blow everyone away. It will definitely be a season to remember.





	

The two teenage boys were silent as one scrolled through Twitter on his phone and the other watched a video on his laptop. They did this often even if they weren’t really interacting much, they considered this hanging out. They’d been best friends for years now, both extremely comfortable with each other. Jonathan had just begun to get bored just as he saw a post on Twitter that caught his interest. 

“If you’re a guy who knows how to play volleyball, BBS Volleyball Club is accepting male players for the first time ever this year! Link in bio!”

Of course, considering he’d grown up around the sport, he clicked that link. It brought him to the BBS Volleyball Club website and they had a picture on the homepage with their female teams. They were a local club and with known for having really great teams. His sister had played for them for few years before taking a leg injury that put her out of the sport for pretty much ever. He always felt terrible for her, because whenever the family went and played, she still played great but she started wearing down super quickly and feeling pains.

There were a few links on the homepage but his finger tapped on the “Information about Male Teams” link. He read over the conditions and what to expect from joining the club. They’d be travelling every other weekend to compete in volleyball tournaments just like the girls teams. Jonathan immediately got excited and tried for his best friend’s attention.

“Luke, look at this!”

He turned his head and his phone so his friend could see, but was annoyed to find him still intently watching something on YouTube.

“Luke,” He said again.

When Luke didn’t respond again, Jonathan took a pillow and slung it over his friend’s face. His headphones flew off the back of his head and he yelled in surprise. 

“Pay attention to me!” Jonathan shouted in mock anger.

“Okay, god damn! What?” Luke finally answered.

“Look at what I found.”

Jonathan turned his phone towards to him and Luke had a similar reaction as he did. 

“Dude that’s pretty awesome. You gonna do it?” Luke asked after reading it.

“What do you mean? We’re gonna do it.”

“Uh, I don’t know about that. You’re the only one who can actually play good.”

“Not true! And besides, if you don’t do it, then I’m not going to either,” Jonathan said.

He knew that Luke would do practically anything for him, so it was a guaranteed win. Luke had always considered Jonathan his little brother and there was very few occasions that he told him no. Luke pondered on his decision when there was a knocking on his friend’s door. Jonathan’s sister walked in with an enraptured smile on her face.

“Have you seen-“ she started but her brother cut her off.

“Yes! I’m trying to convince this dumbass to do it with me,” he said.

“Why are you even thinking twice? Do you know how much fun this will be for the two of you? Trust me, club ball is the absolute best.”

“We might not ever get another chance to do this, Luke. What if it doesn’t get enough support and they shut it down next year? Come on, let’s do it! Please?” Jonathan pleaded.

Luke stared at his best friend as he gave him puppy dog eyes, knowing that he was going to get his way. 

“Well, let’s get going,” Luke said, getting up from the bed and grabbing his keys off the dresser.

“What? Where?” Jonathan asked confused.

“Well, tryouts are next week and I’m pretty sure we’re gonna need some actual gear.”

Jonathan’s eyes grew large with realization and his smile was bright enough to melt Luke’s heart. He launched himself from the bed and ran to hug him, Luke stepping back from the impact.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” he shouted as he shook Luke in his grasp.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, I’m great.”

“This is so awesome! I’m so going to every tournament!” Jonathan’s sister exclaimed, excitedly. “Now let’s go, and yes, I’m coming with you because I want to make sure you buy the right stuff.”

She ushered them out the door and towards the nearest sports store. She showed them which kneepads were best. She preferred black Mizunos herself and that’s what the boys ended up getting as well. Next, she brought them to ankle braces, swatting her brother’s hand when he tried grabbing the first pair he saw. He tried getting the ones that you stick in your shoe and have the plastic lining the sides of your ankles.

“What’s wrong with these?” Jonathan asked, massaging his hand where he’d been slapped.

“Cheap. I’ve had them break in the middle of games on me before. They also only half protect the sides of your ankles. It’s still possible to hurt the front or back. These are the smart choice,” she handed him a pair of lace ups that he’d have to slip on his foot before putting on his shoes.

She then let them take their pick at shoes, and practice clothes. When they walked up to the register, their wallets took a pretty big hit, but they knew it was probably going to be worth it. Jonathan’s smile couldn’t get any wider as they walked out with their newly acquired gear, slinging the plastic bag in circles around his wrist.

“This is going to be so fun!”

Well, a week came and went and tomorrow was the big day. Jonathan was no longer buzzing with excitement; rather he was buzzing with nervous energy. He realized that he had no idea what to expect tomorrow. He’d only every truly played beach volleyball and he knew it was well different from watching his sister play. His sister sat there on the edge of his bed, listening to him ramble as he voiced his doubts and concerns.

“Jonathan, trust me, this is how I felt every year before tryouts. It’s a normal thing.”

“Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I shouldn’t go tomorrow,” he muttered, his face lying sideways on his pillow.

“Oh no. You got Luke in on this, you went and bought all that gear, no way are you giving up before you even start.”

“That stuff can be returned. And hell, Luke didn’t even want to do this in the first place. He’d be relieved if I said I changed my mind.”

“I’d be what?” 

Jonathan sat up upon hearing his friend’s voice to find him standing at the doorway. He looked to his sister who had a guilty look on her face.

“I called him because I can’t deal with your shit all night, but he can,” she smirked as she got up and left them room.

She gave Luke a hopeful smile as she passed by, knowing that he’d pull her brother back to his senses. Luke shut the door behind her and sat down beside his friend.

“Now, when your sister called me saying that you were having a fucking meltdown, I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was definitely not this. What are you talking about not going  
tomorrow?” Luke asked with concern.

“I don’t know, I guess it’s nerves. We’ve never actually played indoor before and I just have no idea what to expect. What if everyone is ten times better?”

“So? What if they are? Who the fuck cares? We’re going there to have fun, not to try and qualify for the Olympics or something. And you know I’m right.”

Jonathan was quiet for a few seconds, his expression still upset and anxious. He hadn’t looked at Luke the entirety of the conversation, but he knew his eyes were on him, trying to read him.

“Come here,” Luke said moving back on the bed to the headrest.

He got comfortable, waiting for Jonathan to crawl up with him. They’d done this a lot over the years. Jonathan had a tendency to get anxious or upset before big things and Luke was always there to cuddle him and calm him down. Jonathan was there in a heartbeat, allowing Luke to wrap his arms around him and stroke his hair. It made Jonathan feel safe, made him feel calm. He played with the lettering on his friend’s shirt, trailing his fingers over each word. They stayed like that until Jonathan’s eyes felt heavy and his fingers slowed at Luke’s chest. His eyelids fluttered closed and before he completely fell asleep he heard Luke whisper something he barely caught.

“And by the way, I always wanted to do this. I just never would have had the courage to do it if you hadn’t wanted to yourself. So, I’m not letting you give up on this for your sake if not mine.”

Jonathan chuckled quietly along with Luke and they both fell asleep there. Luke woke up first to the sunlight seeping through the blinds. He looked at his friend, snuggled close to his chest, sleeping soundly. He looked a lot calmer than he had the night before and Luke hoped it stayed that way. But of course, when Jonathan woke up and realized what today was, he get anxious again. He tried to subdue it so Luke wouldn’t constantly tell him to calm down, but Luke knew him better than that. He knew the second Jonathan woke up that he still felt nervous. 

“It’s good to be a little nervous, but you got to have some confidence too, man,” he said as Jonathan messed with his gear.

He was stalling, putting everything on slowly even though Luke finished getting ready ten minutes ago.

“I’m not a very confident person and you know that.”

“Well, you should try it sometime. I think you’ll find that a good amount of it improves your performance, but an abundance or lack thereof hinders it. You’ve got to balance it.”

“Uh-huh. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good. Now get in the car. It’s time to go.”

Jonathan was silent the whole drive there, no doubt letting his mind overthink the possible turnout of today. Luke didn’t know how to help anymore, so he just turned on the radio in hopes that it would distract him for a moment. When they pulled into the parking lot of the gym, Jonathan began to fidget and act overly nervous. Luke parked the car, turned to his friend, and grabbed his shoulder.

“We got this. If you feel like you aren’t having fun, just look at me and we’ll go. Now, I’m not saying we leave after ten minutes; I want you to give it a chance, but I won’t push you to do this if you really don’t want to. Okay?”

Jonathan nodded slowly, “okay.”

They both exited the car and walked into the building. There were some of the girls team’s practicing today and the building was anything but quiet. The practicing teams were shouting and yelling while the sounds of a volleyball being passed around during a rally and the squeaks of the players’ shoes accompanied them. Jonathan stuck close to Luke, who was honestly the only reason he was able to walk in the gym today.

At first they were lost as to where to go, but a nice lady walked up to them and pointed them in the right direction. They turned the corner to the other half of the gym with three courts all side by side, a mirror of the other half. There was already a small group of boys their age standing around, obviously waiting for tryouts to begin. Everyone was socializing and getting to know each other. 

Luke started walking up to them, Jonathan still glued to his side. He walked up to the closest two boys and attempted to start a conversation without interrupting whatever they were already talking about. 

“Uh, hi. Do you guys know if there a sign in or anything we have to do before they start?” he asked.

“No, I don’t think there is. My name’s Bryce though! Nice to meet you!” the first boy said with a bright smile.

“Well, I’m Luke and this is Jonathan, my best friend. It’s nice to meet you too,” Luke returned his smile.

“Hey, Ryan’s my best friend too!” Bryce said, gesturing to the guy beside him.

“Awe, I’m your best friend? How sweet,” he teased.

The three laughed, Jonathan restricted to a smile since he was still working on being calm. When they heard a whistle blow, they all turned to see a man older than them walk onto the court. They took this as their cue to shut up and listen.

“Alright, welcome everybody! My name is Coach Bret and I’m going to be leading tryouts,” the man announced. “Okay, so what I need is for you guys to find a partner and get warmed up for about five minutes, starting now.”

Luke got a ball from the cart for the two of them and the pair warmed up next to Ryan and Bryce. While warming up, Bryce tried to talk to Jonathan since he was right beside him.

“So, what position do you play? I play front middle mostly,” Bryce said as he threw the ball back to his partner.

“Uh, outside. I’ve never played indoor though,” Jonathan replied, quietly.

“Nice! Honestly, it’s not too different, but it will take some getting used to.”

“How so?”

“Well, you can move a lot easier, you jump higher, and you slide further on dives. Basically, everything is easier and you can do it ten times better because there’s no sand dragging you down.”

“So, I just need to remember that I’m not in sand and I’ll be okay?” Jonathan asked, looking Bryce in the eyes.

Bryce held his gaze, smiling sincerely,” yeah. I have a feeling you’ll be fine.”

Luke and Ryan had been having a conversation of their own at the same time, discussing mostly the same topics.

“Yeah, I play libero mostly. I’m not a big attacker,” Ryan laughed.

“Me either. I’m a setter, so the only kills I get are the occasional dump,” Luke laughed along.

“So, your friend, Jonathan, is he always so quiet?” 

“Hell no. That boy is the most outgoing person you will ever meet. He also never shuts up, but he’s pretty nervous about today. He gets like this sometimes, but I’m honestly kind of worried.”

“Well, I think he’ll be fine,” Ryan said gesturing over to Jonathan.

Luke saw him smiling as he continued a conversation that he couldn’t hear with Bryce and felt a bit of relief. Just to see Jonathan talking much less smiling made him feel better about pushing him to still come today. The two pairs began to pepper for a few more minutes before they heard Coach Bret call them over again. Jonathan may have relaxed a bit, but he was still glued to Luke’s side. Coach Bret had them all do some basic skill drills for about an hour, allowing a few water breaks in between. The four new friends downed the water they’d brought, talking about the stuff they’d done so far.

“I hope we start doing some team drills or something soon. This is starting to feel like a little kids’ camp,” Ryan commented.

“I feel like a little kid! I’m still getting used to the whole ‘being on court not sand’ thing,” Luke said, Jonathan nodding in agreement.

“You both actually look really good for having never played indoor before. I’m impressed!” Bryce complimented the duo.  
Before either of them could reply, Coach Bret called them over again. 

“Alright, now that we’ve gone through all the basics, we are going to start evaluating you on positions. Setters stay on this court, defensive players on court two, and hitters on court three.”

As the players started to go to their respective courts, Jonathan realized that this would be the first time that he wouldn’t have Luke right next to him. He’d be two whole courts  
away! All of the anxiety he’d managed to push away came flooding back. Luke saw this and grabbed him, speaking quickly.

“You’ll be fine. Bryce will be with you. Just try to have fun with it and remember: this isn’t a competition. Just do your best. I’m only two courts away,” Luke spoke low and hurried.

Jonathan found his mouth too dry to speak so he gave Luke a shaky nod. Bryce gently grabbed his arm, pulling towards the other court. Bryce looked back to Luke, smiling as a way of saying “don’t worry, I’ve got him.” Luke visibly relaxed, knowing his friend was in good hands. Ryan patted him on shoulder, wishing him luck before he jogged over to court two.


End file.
